Ariz. governor signs compacts with tribes

Beth DeFalco

Thursday, Dec. 5, 2002 | 9:41 a.m.

PHOENIX -- Gov. Jane Hull signed gambling agreements with 10 Arizona tribes Wednesday, the first step toward enacting a voter-approved initiative to expand gambling on Indian reservations.

"This truly is a great, great day -- a historic day for Arizona," Hull said. "It is good for the sovereignty of the Indian tribes and the interests of the state of Arizona."

Proposition 202, an initiative that narrowly won voter approval in November, orders the governor to sign deals to increase the number of slot machines that tribes can operate and allow tribes to offer Las Vegas-style blackjack, which was not allowed previously.

In exchange, the tribes will give the state up to 8 percent of revenue, depending on how much casinos take in. The state currently gets no money from the 22 casinos run by 15 tribes in Arizona.

Ivan Makil of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa tribe said the new compacts are an example for other tribes and states.

"I believe it can be a model for the rest of the country. It's a model for all states. It's a model for all tribes," he said.

But Makil and Hull were also critical of the Legislature for failing to resolve the gambling issue on its own, forcing tribes to resort to a ballot initiative.

Backers of 202, which included 17 tribes, raised more than $21 million to support the most expensive gambling campaign in state history.

"I'm proud of the success, but I'm sad that it was so costly," Makil said. "Money spent to run an initiative has so many other uses."

Proposition 202 was the only gambling initiative on Arizona's ballot to win approval last month. The others -- one supported by the Colorado River Indian Tribes and the other by dog and horse track owners -- were defeated.

Of the 21 recognized tribes in Arizona, 15 have active casinos. The new compacts will be valid when six tribes -- the Fort McDowell, Salt River Pima-Maricopa, Gila River, Pascua Yaqui, Tohono O'odham and Ak-Chin -- sign off on the compacts, which replace existing agreements.

On Wednesday five of the six urban tribes signed compacts. The Pascua Yaqui and other tribes will sign compacts with Hull before she leaves office on Jan. 6, state gambling officials said.

"It takes time to get things done because each tribe has their own process to work through," said Christa Severns, a spokeswoman for the Arizona Department of Gaming.

Details of Proposition 202 were negotiated earlier, but an agreement was never signed by Hull and the tribes because dog and horse racetrack owners won a federal court ruling saying the governor didn't have the power to sign such deals without legislative or voter approval.

That decision was overruled on technical grounds earlier this year by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, clearing the way for Hull to sign. Other attempts by the tracks to get a court order blocking Hull from signing new gambling compacts have been unsuccessful.

Tracks attorney Neil Wake didn't return calls Wednesday seeking comment.

Before they go into effect, signed compacts will also need approval from the Interior Department. The department has 45 days to review the agreements to ensure they comply with federal law.

Edward Manuel, chairman of the Tohono O'odham, said that increased revenue from gambling will lead to increased independence for American Indians.

"We don't want to rely on anyone to run our government or to address our people," said Manuel, one of 14 Indian speakers at the signing ceremony. "We can do it."

Other tribes that signed Wednesday were: San Carlos Apache Tribe, Tonto Apache Tribe, the White Mountain Apache Tribe, the Havasupai Tribe and the Hualapai Tribe.

The Havasupai and Hualapai do not have casinos but want to lease gambling rights to tribes that do, Severns said.